£40m Leeds United exit eyeing full debut vs familiar opponent as manager outlines ‘big’ role

Archie Gray could be in line for a first Tottenham Hotspur start this week with Ange Postecoglou hinting at some changes for the Carabao Cup meeting with Coventry City.

Gray’s early weeks at Tottenham have been reduced to fleeting appearances from the bench, with two games yielding just 31 minutes in total. The 18-year-old has not featured at all in either of the previous two games as Spurs tasted defeat against Newcastle United and Arsenal.

There was never a serious expectation Gray would replicate his Leeds United minutes at Tottenham, having moved in a deal worth £40million over the summer, but the teenager will be hoping to make a significant contribution soon. And that could come against familiar opposition, with the north London club at Championship outfit Coventry City for their Carabao Cup third-round clash on Wednesday.

“You could see them. Yeah, they might even be on the pitch mate,” Postecoglou told reporters of young trio Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore. “Yeah, they’re ready to play and we’re keen to get them some game time. That’s why we brought them to the club.

“They’re training really well and the games haven’t gone the way we wanted in terms of giving them some more exposure but we always knew that this is the period where it starts. Not just between now and the next international break but post that, probably until the end of January we’re going to have a really busy schedule and they’re going to play a big part in that.

“So guys like those three you mentioned, Wilson [Odobert] who hasn’t played much so far, Pape [Sarr] and a lot of these guys, we’re keen to get them playing because we’re going to need them.”

Gray impressed during Tottenham’s pre-season with a string of assured performances encouraging supporters, but the teenager has been on the fringes of first-team action with Postecoglou trusting his more experienced players during a difficult start to the season. Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal means Spurs have just four points from their opening four league games.

The step up to a top-level Premier League side presents a fresh challenge for Gray, who was virtually nailed on to start after making his first-team debut during Leeds’ opening-weekend draw against Cardiff City last season. The teenager has plenty of competition for minutes, with Pedro Porro the starting right-back while the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison can all occupy central midfield.